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Mickelson wins British Open in dramatic style with four birdies over last six holes

Phil Mickelson is mystified no more by links golf. He has his name etched in a silver Claret Jug to prove it.

Mickelson delivered his best closing round ever in a major Sunday — at the British Open, of all places — when he ran off four birdies over the last six holes for a 5-under 66 at Muirfield to win the third leg of the career Grand Slam.

“This is such an accomplishment for me because I just never knew if I’d be able to develop the game to play links golf effectively,” Mickelson said. “To play the best round arguably of my career, to putt better than I’ve ever putted, to shoot the round of my life ... it feels amazing to win the Claret Jug.”

At the end of a rough-and-tumble week along the Firth of Forth, Mickelson was the only player under par. He wound up with a three-shot win over Henrik Stenson, one of four players atop the leaderboard during a final round that was up for grabs until Mickelson seized control in the final hour.

Lee Westwood, who started Sunday with a two-shot lead, fell behind for the first time all day with a bogey on the 13th and never recovered. He closed with a 75. Masters champion Adam Scott took the lead with a 4-foot birdie on the 11th, and closed as sloppily as he did last year. He made four bogeys starting at the 13th, and a final birdie on the 18th gave him a 72. At least he has a green jacket from the Masters to console him this year.

Tiger Woods, in his best position to win a major since the crisis in his personal life, stumbled badly on his way to a 74 and was never a serious challenger.

Westwood said he didn’t play all that badly. Instead, he paid tribute to Mickelson for what will be remembered as one of the great closing rounds in major championship history.

“When you birdie four of the last six of a round any day, that’s good going,” Westwood said. “With a decent breeze blowing and some tough flags out there, it’s obviously a pretty good experience. When you do it in a major championship, it’s an even better experience.”

But this major championship? Phil Mickelson?

He had only contended twice in two decades at golf’s oldest championship. One week after he won the Scottish Open in a playoff on the links-styled course of Castle Stuart, Mickelson was simply magical on the back nine of a brown, brittle Muirfield course that hasn’t played this tough since 1966.

Tied for the lead, Mickelson smashed a 3-wood onto the green at the par-5 17th to about 25 feet for a two-putt birdie, and finished in style with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to match the lowest score of this championship.

“Those two 3-woods were the two best shots of the week, to get it on that green,” Mickelson said. “As I was walking up to the green, that was when I realized that this is very much my championship in my control. And I was getting a little emotional. I had to kind of take a second to slow down my walk and try to regain composure.”

Mickelson figured a par on the 18th would be tough for anyone to catch him. When the ball dropped in the center of the cup, he raised both arms in the air to celebrate his fifth career major, tying him with the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Byron Nelson.

“Best round I’ve ever seen him play,” said his caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay. Mickelson shared a long hug with his caddie and whispered in his ear, “I did it.”

Jack Nicklaus said on Twitter, “Phil’s round was incredible. After his bad break on 16 and to then get up and down showed a lot of guts. And the two great shots at 17 ended the tournament.”

Mickelson had to wait for four groups to finish before he could claim the oldest championship in golf. He huddled with his wife and three children, who returned from a quick holiday in Spain, and shared a long embrace.

Making this even sweeter for Mickelson is that just one month ago he lost out on yet another chance to win the U.S. Open, the missing link of a career Grand Slam. Mickelson twice made bogey with wedge in his hand on the back nine at Merion and had his record sixth runner-up finish.

Woods, Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen are the only players to win all four professional majors.

Mickelson figured it would be the British Open that would hold him back. Now he has the jug, and he never took his hand off during his press conference.

“I think that if I’m able to win the U.S. Open and complete the career Grand Slam, I think that that’s the sign of the complete, great player,” Mickelson said. “And I’m a leg away. And it’s been a tough leg for me.”